" And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to offer your bodies to God because of all that He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him."
Romans 12: 1 (New Living Translation)
I love the new living translation because it uses the word "bodies" to describe how we should worship God. The word body refers to the entire person--physical, spiritual and psychological that makes no mistake letting us know that this is the only way to give ourselves to God. Many of us think of worship and what we really mean is "worship service"which refers to the hour or so we spend in church on Sundays when we are able to make it there. When we limit our thinking about worship to just one hour a week we are missing the kind of worship God really wants.
Now, I'm not saying that the hour we spend in church is not pleasing to God...surely it is. But what Paul is talking about is completely different. Paul is asking us to become a living and holy sacrifice. We know what living means, but we completely misunderstand the meaning of the word "holy." Holy does not refer to living a perfect life or being closer to God than someone else. Holiness does not take perfection it takes practice. "Holy," simply put, means that you are setting apart something just for God.
God wants our worship to consist of setting our lives apart so God will find them pleasing and acceptable. It is about worshiping God in everything you are and in everything you do. Living holy refers to a life fully given to God. We worship through the way we "represent ." Do you glorify God through the values you live? Do you live with authenticity, integrity and without compromise? Do you worship God in the way you do your job or your work? Are you the best you can be, does your attitude help others? We work for a paycheck...but our paycheck can also involve giving our best for God. Do you worship God through your relationships? Are you honorable and reliable in your friendships? Are you faithful and truthful in your marriage?
Every part of our day can be an act of worship just by the way we approach it. When we do this our relationship with God is made stronger, our relationships with others can be more meaningful and our marriage and families can reflect the values we hold most dear. Life can be full of jobs or tasks or it can be filled with acts of worship.
When you set your life apart, as a way of glorifying God, miracles can happen. You can meet that new person God wants to bring into your life, you can explore that new opportunity to work or play, and you will be put in positions where you can share Jesus whether you talk or not, with others.
Take this challenge. Do everything you do for just one day as if God were sitting right next to you. Your outlook will change and your eyes will be opened.
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